Abundance and size structure of the deep-sea benthos

1991 ◽  
pp. 181-200
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Size Structure

scholarly journals Evidence for benthic body size miniaturization in the deep sea

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 1339-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne I. Kaariainen ◽  
Brian J. Bett
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Size Class ◽  
The Body ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Individual Biomass ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
Accumulation Curves ◽  
Average Individual

The benthic body size miniaturization hypothesis states that deep-sea communities are dominated by organisms of smaller body size, although some field studies have produced contradictory results. Using appropriate sample sets, this study tests this hypothesis by contrasting the benthic communities of the Fladen Ground (North Sea, 150 m) and the Faroe–Shetland Channel (1600 m). Samples were collected for large (500 μm) and small macrofauna (250–355 μm), meiofauna (45 μm) as well as an intermediate sized ‘mesofauna’ (180 μm) to ensure comprehensive coverage of the full meio- and macro-faunal body size-range. The body size structure of the benthos was compared using two methods. The more widely used average individual biomass method involves dividing the total sample biomass by sample abundance. Additionally, body size accumulation curves were constructed by assigning all specimens into a logarithmic size-class and then plotting the cumulative percentage of individuals present in each size-class. The results seem to support the hypothesis that the deep-sea environment is a small organism habitat. Although these findings only represent two locations, the overall body size accumulation curves clearly display a statistically significant shift towards smaller body sizes at the deeper site. The magnitude of the effect is appreciable with median metazoan body size reducing from 14.3 μg wet weight in the Fladen Ground to 3.8 μg wet weight in the Faroe–Shetland Channel. The average individual biomass measurements are shown to be of limited value and can lead to potentially misleading conclusions if the underlying size structure is not analysed in detail.

Deep-sea shrimps Aristaeomorpha foliacea and Pleoticus robustus (Crustacea: Penaeoidea) in the Colombian Caribbean Sea as a new potential fishing resource

2011 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 811-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Paramo ◽  
Ulrich Saint-Paul
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Caribbean Sea ◽  
Population Parameters ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Shrimp Species ◽  
Shrimp Fishery ◽  
The World ◽  
Northern Zone ◽  
Aristaeomorpha Foliacea

In the Colombian Caribbean Sea a shallow water commercial shrimp fishery has been developed, targeting mainly Farfantepenaeus notialis. Yet, similarly to so many fisheries around the world, the exploitation of this shrimp is not regulated, and a significant depletion has resulted. This study investigates new fishing areas, exploring the poorly understood deep-sea habitats in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, to determine the potential for a viable deep shrimp fishery, studying their abundance and spatial distribution. We found high abundances for giant red shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea) and royal red shrimp (Pleoticus robustus), both important commercially. The higher biomass of these two deep-sea shrimp species were found mainly in the northern zone of the Colombian Caribbean Sea, where the local oceanography is modulated by the seasonal upwelling with high productivity. The size-structure following depth strata showed that A. foliacea increase in size with the depth and the contrary for P. robustus. The majority of adult individuals in these two deep-sea shrimp species reflect the non-fished populations in the study area. However, more scientific assessment is necessary to determine life cycle population parameters of deep-sea shrimps and associated biodiversity before initiating a new commercial shrimp fishery.

The Size Structure of Deep-Sea Meiobenthos in the North-Eastern Atlantic: Nematode Size Spectra in Relation to Environmental Variables

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Soltwedel ◽  
O. Pfannkuche ◽  
H. Thiel
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Nematode Species ◽  
Energy Availability ◽  
Size Spectra ◽  
Sea Floor ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
One Year

The size distribution of benthic nematodes was investigated along different gradients of food availability in various regions of the north-eastern Atlantic: I, across the continental margin and II, with increasing distance from the continental rise. An overall trend for miniaturization with increasing distance from the food source was found. Moreover, our results indicate that seasonally varying food supply or a periodically pulsed input of organic matter to the sea floor affects nematode size spectra. The hypothesis is proposed that the life cycle of deep-sea nematode species and hence the size structure of their populations are related to seasonal energy availability. This dependence might result in one year life spans of deep-sea nematodes and probably other meiofauna.

scholarly journals Spatial structure and morphometric relationships of the deep-sea shrimp Solenocera acuminata (Decapoda, Solenoceridae) in the Colombian Caribbean

ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1040 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Carlos Pacheco ◽  
José Cusba ◽  
Jorge Paramo ◽  
Dante Queirolo ◽  
Daniel Pérez
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Size Structure ◽  
Caribbean Sea ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
High Biomass ◽  
Bathymetric Distribution ◽  
Spawning Areas ◽  
Size At Sexual Maturity ◽  
Northern Zone

Given the potential interest in targeting Solenocera acuminata in a new deep-sea fishery in the Colombian Caribbean, biological information is needed to support the management of this species. The objective of this study is to provide biological information about size structure, size at sexual maturity, morphometric relationships, abundances and spatial and bathymetric distribution of S. acuminata in the Colombian Caribbean. Specimens of S. acuminata were collected during four deep-sea prospecting surveys in the Colombian Caribbean Sea, which were conducted between Punta Gallinas and the Gulf of Uraba. A total of 87 exploratory fishing trawls were made between 100 and 550 m depth. Sexual dimorphism was evident, with males being smaller than females. The size at sexual maturity of the females was 95.2 mm total length (23.82 mm CL). Relatively high biomass values were found in the northern zone of the Colombian Caribbean, between Santa Marta and Riohacha. In the southern zone, higher biomass was found between Cartagena and Morrosquillo Gulf. The biomass of S. acuminata was higher at night (mean 1.82 kg/km2) than during daylight (mean 0.15 kg/km2). This species was distributed between 150 and 400 m depth and the highest biomass was associated with depths between 330 and 380 m. Before starting a new fishery, more research is needed to understand the life cycle parameters of deep-sea resources, such as growth, reproduction, recruitment, mortality, spawning areas and times, nursery areas and associated biodiversity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document